India’s first transgender clinics close after USAID fund freeze, over 5,000 affected

NEW DELHI: India's first three clinics providing services to the transgender community were forced to shutdown after the United States decided to stop funding projects under from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The move has affected over 5,000 beneficiaries, Reuters reported quoting sources.Reacting to the news of the closure of first of the Mitr clinics in Hyderabad, US DOGE head Elon Musk said, "That’s what American tax dollars were funding."The other clinics, located in the western cities of Kalyan and Pune, offered a range of services, including hormone therapy guidance and medication, mental health counseling, HIV and STI support, legal aid, and general medical care, according to their official website.Each clinic required an annual budget of up to 3 million rupees ($34,338) and employed around eight staff members, according to one source. Efforts are underway to secure alternative funding from public or private sources, the source added.Clinic organizers have received a waiver from USAID to continue essential life-saving services, including providing antiretroviral medication to HIV-infected patients, sources said. According to one source, up to 10% of the clinic's clients are living with HIV, Reuters reported.USAID has been a primary target in a widespread effort led by President Donald Trump and cost-cutting chief Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to reduce the size of the federal government. Organizations have reported the permanent cancellation of thousands of USAID contracts for HIV programs in South Africa.